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tv   The Situation Room  CNN  May 2, 2013 2:00pm-4:01pm PDT

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lead." i will leave you in the able hands of wolf blitzer. we'll see you tomorrow 4:00 p.m. eastern, 1:00 p.m. pacific. mr. blitzer take it away. jake thanks very much. happening now, the fbi has a lap top belonging to one of the boston bombing suspects. investigators are paying fresh attention to the widow of the other. latest details. federal officials launch an investigat human trafficking after two women complained they were treated like slaves at a saudidiplomat's home. as the immigration debate rages on home president obama is in mexico right now about to take questions from reporters. we'll have live c this hour. i'm development in the boston bombing investigation. federal officials say the fbi has a lap top computer belonging to the suspect dzhokhar tsarnaev. this comes as the widow of his
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older brother tamerlan comes under fresh scrutiny from federal investigators. let's begin our coverage this hour with our national correspondent deborah feyerick joining us from new bedford, massachusetts.wolf we can tell you we're here at t dartmouth,orth of the men who were taken in and arrested yesterday. they are about four miles away in new bedford. here at the university of massachusetts dartmouth is where dzhokhar tsarnaev left his lap top computer when he fled after his picture was released by the fbi. the last person known to have seen that computer was his friend dias kadyrbayev one of the men who lived in the other apartment. o he came to his frie ntaining empty fireworks canisters. the powder would have potentially been used to build some type of bomb. he took both of those things and then he went to his apartment and got rid of the backpack. it's unclear whether he even ever got rid of the computer but
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dias was on the very early in the investigation even before dzhokhar tsarnaev was taken into that's because they knew there messages exchanged and so they wanted to question this friend of his. so whether they got the computer from him, one thing we do know is that it was never found in the landfill where that backpack ultimately turned up. >> what about the wife of the older brother? i know there's fresh scrutiny tough questioning going on. what's the latest we're hearing on that? >> reporter: well katie russell has been of very high interest to law enforcement, to prosecutor to the fbi. we have been told earlier that the fbi was in a meeting with her and her lawyers at the lawyer's office couple days ago. she still has a lot of information and so she could be very key to investigators. it's not clear whether they have -- she is clearly a person of interest but how this plays out, that is what everybody is sort of looking at closely paying attention to. this is a woman who would know
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exactly or have the best record of where her husband traveled who he may have associated with who came to his apartment. all of those things, and also there is a phone call that took place between the two of them right after the fbi release picture and before that officer was killed on the m.i.t. campus. so that too, is of keen interest because she clearly tried to contact her husband after it was clear that he was a suspect. she is of very high interest. in what capacity whether able to cut some sort of deal or whether she is able to provide information, everyone is watching that very closely, wolf. >> they certainly are and are wondering if she in fact recognized her husband and her brother-in-law in those pictures released by the fbi why didn't she call the fbi or local law enforcement to say i know who those guys are? that's a key question right now. all right. thanks very much. let's get backt lap top, a critical piece of evidence belonging to dzhokhar tsarnaev. it's now in the hands of the
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fbi. our crime ando justice correspondent joe johns is digging deeper into this p are you learning? >> it's our understanding there's already been a quick review of the hard drive and no indication so far the suspects arrested yesterday had anything to do with the preplanning of the bombing. that data doesn't take very long unless the hard drive has been badly damaged and there is no indication of that but what's more time consuming we're told is tracking e-mail or chat roomeone overseas. it's not clear how that might be going a source said it could involve asking the fbi to help track down leads. we're also told by sources that authorities have been investigating the cell phone records of the suspected bombers. one source says investigators cell phone. we don't know whose cell phones they are. the cell phones are important because fbi affidavits say the man identified as dzhokhar tsarnaev was seen on video at the marathon looking at a cell phone, appearing to take a picture with it, manipulating the phone. he is seen speaking into it for 30 seconds before the first
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ayev exchanged several text messages in the days after the bombings. those text messages served more than one purpose. the content gives investigators information but the time stamp onext messages gives them a good sense of the chronology, what time certain things were happening. >> just to review all these records from the computer the websites the text messages or whatever and the cell phones that's a time consuming ordeal. >> it certainly is. you have social media. we already knowe certain postings that may or may not have been taken down. there's a lot to look for and what we were told is they've taken a cursory review but who knows how long the rest of it takes? >> i think by all accounts they know a lot more the fbi than they're sharing with the public right now. we'll see what emerges in the coming hours and days. thanks very much joe, for that report. meanwhile, investigators have been examining whether the boston suspect tamerlan tsarnaev was influenced by a russian born
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canadian boxer who died in the shootout with security forces in dagestan in russia while tsarnaev was visiting the region. our senior international correspondent nic robertson went to the scene of the clash. reporter: in these lush mountains dagestan's rebels hide from russian forces. our journey here a trip into the unknown. we're on our way to the village where canadian boxer williamplotkinof was killed in a gun battle with russian forces. 15 minutes from coastal highway, the tiny town3400 people. we're being given special permission to go into the grave yard. they are all moderate muslims here and follow peaceful traditions. plotnikov's grave is not hard to find at the cemetery's edge a place for strangers. he was a convert to islam. this does seem to be his grave,
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plotnikov william, born 3rd of may, 1989 died 14th july last summer. the we had we didn't know anything about the rebels he his father came from canada and asked we bury him a muslim. indeed as i talked to local officials they all tell me the same. the rebels lived out of town i asked if they've ever seen alleged boston bomber tamerlan tsarnaev e are safe but since last summer we worry. we take our cattle to the forests. on the edge of town theyake us to the farm where plotnikov faced off with russian forces. the gate has been locked off and they just opened it to let us in. this is the farm up here. fields are overgrown. looks like it's been vineyards over k up looks like a shot out van as well over here. six other rebels died in the
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firefight. two days later, the region. the farm owner survived the battle and in his police confession he never mentioned tsarnaev. the farm appears stuck in time from lasgt summer. the clothes are still hanging here camouflaged t-shirt, hat, and in the wall this mud and straw wall you can see bullet holes peppering it all over. this official tells me they are trying to prevent such situations counseling vulnerable you trying to build the local economy. italians and israelis he says have just visited. both want to invest. amid fertile fields and bucolic charm, easy to imagine a better life but reality seems never far away. we've just learned in the past 12 hours three policemen, one a senior counterterrorism cop, had been killed in a shootout with rebels in a town not far from here. two other policemen were injured
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as well. it's typical of the battle going on daily here with the rebels. nic cnn, dagestan. >> we'll have a lot more on this story, the boston investigation coming up. also other news we're following including relatives they want lawmakers to look them straight in the eye after a setback in the u.s. senate. a new push for gun control under way. we're also standing by to hear directly from the president of the united states, president obama due to take questions shortly in mexico. you're looking at live pictures from mexico city. we're going there live as soon as he shows up with the mexican president. and a fast moving wildfire. look at these pictures. closing in on neighborhoods in southern california. we're on the scene for you. stand by. [ female announcer ] total effects user kim scott still looks amazing. but with kids growing up fast fighting seven signs of aging gets harder. introducing total effects for the ninety-two practices two proms, and one driving test yet to come. she'll need our most concentrated total effects ever. at a dry cleaner we replaced people
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million dollar homes. cnn has been right in the middle of all of this. watch this. >> reporter: here in newberg park is one of the main entrances and hot spots. they've been trying to drop water via helicopter on this area but it is so smokey it's almost impossible to get a good look at where the fire isell you right now it's p there along that ridge threatening all of the houses in this neighborhood. the smoke is just absolutely horrificheat the heat is tremendous right now. the firefighters really up against it. you can see just where entire neighborhood and these people are right now trying to evacuate. reporting from newbury park i'm paul vercammen. back to you. >> thanks very much. we'll have much more on these fires threatening southern california right now. this is dramatic stuff coming in. stand by. we'll go back to the scene. paul is on the scene for us and we'll check in to get the latest
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information. there's other news we're following here in washington including gun control supporters who aren't giving up on the fight for tougher laws despite a major defeat in the senate on a proposal to expand background checks. this week they're deploying some of their more -- most powerful voices -- the family members of gun violence victims to confront some senators face to face. our chief bash has been working this story for us. it's a whole new twist in the battle over tougher gun control laws. >> that's right. the strategy is very simple. it is to try to get senators to change their minz by publicly shaming them. >> hello. is the senator in today? >> reporter: karen teevs' son was killed in the colorado movie massacre. >> can you let him know karen teevs was here unsuccessfully to see her senator since he voted against expanding background checks last month. to capture her frustration the gun control group mayors against
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illegal guns sent her to try again this time inviting cameras. >> i want him to look a mother in the eye who has lost her child. i want him to see the pain. >> reporter: it's just one part of a coordinated effort to use this week's senate recess to keep the gun control issue alive despite losing the pivotal background check vote. earlier this week the same group sent erica lafferty daughter of slain sandy hook elementary school principal dawn huxbrong to confront kelly ayotte. she also voted against expanding background checks calling them a burden on gun owners. >> i'm just wondering why the?n burden of my mother being gunned down in the halls of her elementary school isn't as important as that. >> i felt that the enhanced improvements to our background check system, as you and i both know the issue wasn't a background check system issue in sandy hook.
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>> the amendment is not agreed to. >> reporter: in order to find the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster supporters need to change some half a dozen senate minds going after republicans and democrats. >> mr. baucus, no. >> reporter: montana's max baucus was one of four senate democrats to vote no on expanding background checks. a liberal group is trying to pressure him with this new ad featuring a gun owning grandmother. >> aimed my hand gun at the door and waited. guns can protect us but we're less safe with guns in the wrong hands. >> reporter: the nra isn't taking anything for granted, pushing just as hard to keep those senators in their corner running radio ads freezing senate no voters like ayotte. >> it's why kelly had the courage to oppose misguided gun control laws. >> reporter: gun control groups insist senators who voted against expanding background checks widely popular are taking a hit with constituents. a new survey conducted by a pro
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democratic polling firm showed ayotte's approval rating dropping and found flake now the most unpopular senator in the country saying on his facebook page probably this looks me just below pond scum. >> telling strengthening background checks is something we agree on. >> after receiving this letter i would expect senator flake to look me in the eye and explain why he ignored me. >> spokeswoman for senator flake told me the reason he voted no on the background check measure was it was written too broadly and, quote, would have encroached on private sales. she also told me flake hopes changes will be made so he can ultimately support it and, wolf senator ayotte i'm told is also willing to consider alternatives if there are changes. there are some discussions i'm told by going on broad, preliminary discussions but of course the question is going to be how are they going to clang it? are they going to water it down? if they do is that going to fly
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with some of the gun control groups? >> senator manchin says he has not given up with trying to come up with a deal. >> that's right. he is trying to talk to senators like flake and ayotte and others who were on the fence but they lost because they say the way this is written of course the open question is can they ever get the language written in a way that can satisfy them? >> harry reid says for now it is off the table. thanks dana. good report. coming up we're waiting for president obama to answer questions from reporters after meeting with hiswe'll have live coverage. and after two women complained they were treated like slaves at a saudi diplomat's home in the washington, d.c. area federal officials have now launched an investigation into what they described as possible human trafficking. stay with us. you're in "the situation room."
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exxon says the company is now investigating the cause of the incident. the final two sections of a 400-foot spire were hoisted to of one world trade center today making it the talles the western hemisphere once they're installed. with the crowning pieces the iconic building will stand at more than 1700 feet. officials say installation is scheduled for a later day. pope francis welcomes his predecessor back to the vatican today. the now retired pope benedict will live on the grounds of the newly renovated convent. he returned by helicopter from the papal retreat in castle began dolpho where he has been staying since stepping down in february. benedict was the first pope to resign in near 600 years. he is back. the two men are back together again wolf. >> thanks very much. up next we're watching a 5-year-old who kills his 2-year-old sister with a gun he got for his birthday. we'll discuss what happened.
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gets to work. ♪ ♪ cisco. tomorrow starts here. welcome back. let's talk a little more about this week's reenergized push supposedly for gun control. joining us in our strategy session two cnn political analysts democratic strategist donna brazill and the former bush speechwriter david frum. you think it's going to get anywhere this renewed push especially when it's happened in recent days some of this in your face kind of questioning to some of these wavering republican and democratic lawmakers?
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>> i've never had much confidence that anything was going to happen through the legislative branches. that's not how this kind of change tends to come. and the balance, look of public opinion, continues to oppose most gun control measures. certainly when you look at the people who feel most strongly about the issue they are the people on the anti-control side. this will not change until we have a citizens movement really outside the political structure, something like mothers against drunk driving and until americans absorb the idea that actually having a gun in your home is not a good way to protect your children. >> you've heard all the criticism of the president that he hasn't been twisting arms enough that he's been too meek on this issue especially to some of those waffling democrats out there who are afraid to go ahead. 90%, 80% to 90% of the american public wants more background checks yet they couldn't pass it in the senate. >> why don't we focus on the republicans who didn't come onboard. 90% of the american people includes a lot of republicans. i think the president has been
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strong effective. he doesn't have to twist arms when it comes to gun safety laws in this country. what he should do is remain vigilant. he's passed 23 executive orders. he needs to remain vigilant and i guarantee this issue will turn. >> you're not going to do what lbg used to do. >> why compare him? barack obama has done more to push this issue. i do believe that the congress will come around. >> criticism certainly is fair. what is catching up with the president here is he has not built the network of relationships in congress that previous presidents have done. and that catches up with him. it catches up with him when he needs -- >> he is inviting a whole bunch over for dinner. he is reaching out a little bit. >> more than half way through the presidency. and you can't do too much in a year. you can't also be a different person than the person you are. this has been -- this president is very much a loner. he is somebody who is very
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cerebral not a glad hander. that has its benefits. he is an intellectually powerful president. it has its weaknesses. >> he is persistent. he is not going to convince republicans who are hell bent on opposing anything or everything -- >> what about the democrats who voted against him? >> he has four democrats -- what about those? >> we got 90% ohe democrats. we didn't get a hundred percent. it's time we focus on the republicans because we can't even get 2% of them. i think this president will continue to fight for this issue. the american people know he is on their side. >> you saw this story of the little 5-year-old boy. he got a gun for a present, my first rifle is the company's slogan. it's a .22 caliber rifle and it's made for kids. he's there. he's left alone with his 2-year-old sister. and i guess the mother and the father must have been out and he shoots and kills this little girl. >> terrible. my general view is if you're not old enough to drive a motorcycle you're not old enough to have a gun. and there are no age limits on gun ownership in the united
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states. this goes to -- this is not, i think, a political decision so much as a personal one. people often buy weapons with the hope of protecting their families and americans need to understand if you look at the numbers, the bes family is to leave the gun at the shooting range. >> this company crickett they got shoulder stock colors ranging from pink to white to red and blue. my first rifle. if you look at the website it features selling guns to kids if you will. you grew up in the south. >> yes. >> is there a problem here? >> immoral. my father did not introduce us to guns until we were well into our teens. he taught us gun safety. he taught us how to protect guns how to use guns. we had water pistols. no question. bb guns. but we never had those objects until we were well into our teens. >> you grew up in canada. did you have an issue with this? >> in canada the rules are always a little different but there are a lot of long guns in canada. about two-thirds as many per person as in the united states. i lived much of the time in
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rural canada where all my neighbors have shot guns and other kinds of long guns to keep predators off their crops. but hand guns are a different thing. that really if we were -- we need i think, to be clear. when we're talking about the greatest number of gun tragedies, talking about gun tragedies inflicted by hand guns. >> what do you think about report in politico that some lobbying groups are purchasing anti -- on espn, sports center some of the other shows, anti-ads they know the president and other people like to watch sports and they think this is a good way to influence them in making decisions. >> i'm going to switch to bravo when i'm not watching you on cnn or watch desperate housewives of atlanta. it makes no sense. if they can find a way to spend their ad money to lobby the president, lobby you and me so be it. >> i don't think -- lobbying is a funny story this week. the president just named for secretary of commerce one of his biggest long-time political contributors. that seems a little out of hand.
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>> what's out of hand? we do that all the time. presidents often high their best friends or financial contributors. what is the problem? >> the bush administration don evans was a pretty powerful, rich guy, too, and he was the commerce secretary. >> and also a person who actually was somebody who was actively involved in commerce. >> she's actively involved. she runs a huge corporation. >> and had a series of ventures. and his relationship the reason he would name secretary of commerce was not entirely the ability as a fundraiser. when you look at the network of ways in which we raise money not just over our television sets but also directly into the cabinet -- >> don evans was a smart guy. good commerce secretary. >> absolutely. >> penny pritzker you know her. >> yes. she is very active in democratic politics. >> smart. >> she is a very wealthy lady. she is worth more than a billion dollars. >> she is a smart, savvy businesswoman. the president wants somebody on his cabinet who can help him
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find jobs. >> if she had been a little less generous she could be just as smart and savvy and she wouldn't be there. >> in giving money to the president? >> to the democrats. >> there are a lot of people involved in the president's cabinet and on the president's team that didn't raise money. trust me. i know a lot of them. >> see how the confirmation process goes for her. >> terrific lady. coming up we're waiting for the president to start answering questions in a mexican counterpart. we'll have live coverage of the q & a. reporters got several good questions in for the president. also federal officials launched an investigation into what they described as possible human trafficking after two women complained they were treated like slaves at a saudi diplomat's home here in the washington, d.c. area. at university of phoenix we know the value of your education is where it can take you. (now arriving: city hospital) which is why we're proud to help connect our students with leading employers across the nation. (next stop: financial center)
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tamerlan tsarnaev the 26-year-old terror suspect who was killed in boston was claimed late this afternoon and the body is scheduled to be picked up this evening by the funeral home. terrell harris would not release any details asimed the body which funeral home is picking it up. the cause of death will not become public record until the death certificate is filed we're told with the city clerk of boston. terrell harris the spokesman saying that since the office is now closed for the day the certificate will not be filed until friday morning. if the certificate is filed friday the cause of death will be released. yesterday we learned that tamerlan tsarnaev's widow, katherine russell, decided she did not want to claim the body that it would go to the family. other members of his family we don't know once again who claimed the body when the body will be buried. we'll get more information. the only thing we know right now according to the massachusetts offi of the chief medical examiner the body has been
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claimed. other news we're following right now here in the washington, d.c. area get this. two women have been removed from the home of a senior saudi diplomat in an upscale suburban washington neighborhood and federal authorities have launched an investigation into what they described as possible human trafficking. cnn's foreign affairs correspondent jill dougherty is joining us with the latest. >> reporter: we're here in mclean, virginia. you can see the house where the women were working behind me. now, officials are saying at this point, are not telling us where the women are but they do say that under normal circumstances they would be working with a nongovernmental organization to give them things like housing, probably some clothing and a way of getting in touch with their the two women from the philippines worked behind these gates. the residents of the saudi arabian defense attache. a luxurious guarded compound in mclean, virginia valued at
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almost $3 million with bars on the windows. state department officials tell cnn the women claim the saudi diplomat living inside held their passports, forced them to work extremely long hours, did not pay them, would enter their rooms and wouldn't let them lock their doors. officials say so far there appears to be no indication of physical or sexual abuse. the women somehow contacted the philippine philippine embassy for help. it in turn contacted u.s. authorities, agents from homeland security and the state department came to the house and removed the women. they're calling them potential trafficking victims. they launched an investigation. >> that is so sad to think that somebody had to cry for help in some way. i don't know they did that. >> reporter: frances roller a neighbor says the attache and his family moved in about two years ago. >> they have a lot of people around the security section but
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everything is very quiet. everyone is very polite. if you happen to encounter anybody who works there. very nice. >> reporter: one major complication if these charges are proven, is that staff of the embassy have diplomatic immunity making it virtually impossible to prosecute them. >> diplomats are under a duty to respect the laws and regulations of the receiving state, and so that's something that holds true for diplomats here and that we hold true for our people. >> reporter: a nation can waive diplomatic immunity allowing its officials to be prosecuted. georgia did that when one of its diplomats driving drunk killed a woman pedestrian in washington in 1997. but nations including the united states also have flown their diplomats home so they don't have to face prosecution. the state department says trafficking is common in saudi arabia. in its annual trafficking report they say workers there face long
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working hours without rest deprivation of food, threats, physical or sexual abuse, and restrictions on movement. now, investigators say they c within minutes of getting the tip and that is the way it's supposed to work. they take the women out of the circumstances they're in and then launch the investigation. a lot, wolf is still unknown. we've tried contacting the saudi embassy numerous times, but so far they are not making any public statement. >> if you get a statement from them let us know jill. thanks very very much. we're waiting for president obama to finish some opening remarks and start answering questions after meeting with his mexican counterpart and we'll have live coverage of the q & a with reporters. also coming up some of the clothes you wear could be made under really horrifying conditions abroad. after a catastrophic factory collapse american companies are now rethinking how they do business.
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the president of the united states getting ready to answer reporters' questions in mexico city with his mexican counterpart. the president of mexico, enrique pena nieto answering questions coming from mexican journalists. as we await the president preparing to answer some questions, u.s. and mexican relations obviously critically important. the illegal border crossings if you will comprehensive immigration reform. the president keeps saying once again he has just said again today, he is pretty optimistic.
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the congress will pass what he describes as comprehensive immigration reform this time around. >> and that has large implications here obviously. and also implications for border security which i think the president was just talking about. the mexican president doesn't want to get involved in a domestic political issue in this country, yet at the same time he is very concerned about border enforcement. he's also concerned about protections for migrant workers and the mexican economy is growing. the number of people coming into this country illegally by the way, wolf is decreasing. there are going to be issues also, about drug interdiction. and this is a president, the new president of mexico has been very confrontational with the united states about how much they should interfere in terms of drug interdiction within mexico's borders. those are all topics clearly,
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for discussion but particularly for this president the issue of border security both domestically and in mexico. >> the new mexican president took office december 1st.he then came he was here in washington. >> right. >> met with the president. i had a is young, obviously a great politician to get elected to be president of mexico. he's got huge issues for mexico. the united states is the most important trading partner, for the united states mexico is the third largest trading partner. >> right. >> there are huge economic issues at stake right now as well. >> there are economic issues at stake. i think both of the presidents are very heavily invested in increasing trade between these two countries and, again, the mexican economy is growing. it's growing at a faster rate actually wolf than our own economy. >> that's why there are fewer and fewer mexicans trying to come into the united states because there are more jobs presumably available over there. a lot of folks believe, gloria that comprehensive immigration reform presidents got
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supporting it marco rubio supporting it john mccain. it will probably pass the senate. the question is the house of representatives. >> right. >> what happens to that bill once it goes to the house of representatives? >> even senator rubio has raised questions about whether the senate republican version of the bill could pass the house and the answer is right now it could not. john boehner's got problems with that on his side there are lots of other issues they have to deal with, lots of economic issues and i think that is a problem that house republicans are trying to deal with right now. there are some republicans who don't want a comprehensive bill and would rather do it piece meal do the border security part of it first, and then do the rest later. but that's going to be a big obstacle. right now the president holding back on it letting the senate backhopped ing ing -- holding back. >> the so-called poison pills, potentially could be if the legislation in the house, for example, were to give a legal status or pathway to citizenship
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for same-sex partners. that probably wouldn't fly either among a lot of republicans and some democrats in the senate probably not fly in the house of representatives either. there are a lot of democrats who want to make sure same-sex partners get the benefit of the new legislation that the heterosexual couples get. >> and they say, you're asking us to take these difficult votes at once on gun control as dana bash was talking about, you're asking us to do difficult votes on immigration, now you're throwing same-sex marriage. >> let's listen in. >> what has obviously been a serious problem. and we are very much looking forward to cooperating in any ways that we can to battle organized crime. as president pena stated. and we anticipate that there's going to be strong cooperation, that on our side of the border we have continued work to do to reduce demand and to try to
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stem the flow of guns and cash from north to south. so this is a partnership that will continue. i think that the president and his team are organizing a vision about how they can most efficiently and effectively address these issues. and we will interact with them in ways that are appropriate, respecting that ultimately mexico has to deal with its problems internally, and we have to deal with ours as well. with respect to the president's agenda you know we had a wonderful relationship with president calderon and the previous administration. the bonds between our two countries go beyond party. if a republican president replaces me, there will still be great bonds between mexico and the united states because not just of friendship and our interactions.
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but what i have been impressed with is the president's boldness in his reform agenda. he's tackling big issues. and that's what the times demand. we live in a world that is changing rapidly. and in both the united states and in mexico we can't be caught flat-footed as the world advances. we have to make sure that our young people are the best educated in the world. and that means that some of the old ways of educating our kids may not work. we have to make sure we're staying at the forefront of science and technology. that means we have to make sure we're investing in those areas appropriately. we have to make certain that our economies are competitive around the world. and that when it comes to energy that we're addressing issues like climate change. but also making sure that it's done in a way that's creating jobs and businesses on both sides of the border.
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and so you know what i very much appreciate is the president's willingness to take on hard issues because sometimes i think there's temptation when somebody's elected, to just stay elected as opposed to trying to make sure that we use our time as well as we can to bring about the kinds of changes that will help move the country forward. >> from the u.s. press, julie pace from the u.s. press. >> thank you, mr. president. administration officials, including secretary hagel, say that the u.s. is now more seriously considering sending weapons to the syrian rebels. how has your thinking on the effectiveness of such a step evolved as the violence in syria has considered? and do you now see lethal aid as the best option available for a u.s. escalation in syria? i also had a question on immigration that i was hoping you both could address. senator rubio said today that
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the immigration bill being considered on capitol hill may not pass the senate unless the border security measures are strengthened. are you concerned that an bolster those border security triggers may make a pathway to citizenship almost impossible for many people already in the u.s. illegally, including many mexicans? thank you. >> well first of all, on syria, what secretary hagel said today is what i've been saying now for months which is we are continually evaluating the situation on the ground working with our international partners to find the best way to move a political transition that has assad leaving, stabilizes the country, ends the killing, and allows the syrian people to determine their own destiny. and we made enormous investments, not just in humanitarian aid, but also in helping the opposition organize itself and make sure that it has a consistent vision about
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how it's operating. and as we've seen evidence of further bloodshed, potential use of chemical weapons inside of syria, what i've said is we're going to look at all options. and we know that there are countries that are currently providing lethal aid to the opposition. we also know that the assad regime is getting not just lethal aid, but also training and support from countries outside of syria. and we want to evaluate and make sure that every step that we take advances the day when assad is gone and you have people inside of syria who are able to determine their own destiny rather than engage in a long bloody sectarian war. and we'll continue to evaluate that every step of the way. but as i mentioned at my press
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conference back in d.c. we want to make sure that we look before we leap. and that what we're doing is actually helpful to the opposed to making it more deadly or more complex. with respect to immigration reform i expressed to the president that i'm optimistic about getting this done because it's the right thing to do. we've seen leaders from both parties indicate that now's the time to get comprehensive immigration reform done and part of what we discussed is the importance of getting it done precisely because we do so much business between our two countries, that for us to constantly bog down on these border issues and debates instead of moving forward with a 21st century border that's maintaining security and that is making sure that legal
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immigration and legal trade and commerce is facilitated, but at the same time ensures that we're not seeing a lot of illegal traffic, and allows us to continue to be a nation of immigrants that has contributed so much to the wealth and prosperity of our nation. if we're going to get that done now's the time to do it. and the bill that senator rubio and others put forward i think is a great place to start. it doesn't contain everything i want. and i suspect that the final legislation will not contain everything i want. it won't contain everything that republican leaders want either. but if we can get a basic framework that secures our border building on the extraordinary success we've already had, and the cooperation
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we've had with the mexican government that cracks down on employers who are not taking the seriously, that streamlines and enhances our legal immigration system because the problems with the legal immigration system often force people into the illegal immigration system and provides a pathway to citizenship for those who are currently living in the the united states. if it has those elements then we should be able to build on that and we can have arguments about other elements of this, as we go further. but that's the core of what we need. and frankly, you know, we've put enormous resources into border security. don't take my word for it. you had folks like senator mccain and senator graham come down to the border and see the progress that's been made. there are areas where there's still more work to be done. some of it by the way, is not
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simply securing the united states from illegal traffic. some of it is also improving the infrastructure which we talked about for commerce to be able to come in smoothly which creates jobs and helps our businesses both in the united states and in mexico. but what i'm not going to do is to go along with something where we're looking for an excuse not to do it as opposed to a way to do it. and i think we can -- i think if all sides operate in good faith, that can be accomplished. >> so there you have the president of the united states he's still hopeful there can be comprehensive immigration reform. we'll have a lot more on this coming up. happening now potential game changer in syria's civil war. the obama administration revealing it is now revis tinge the idea of arming the rebels.
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plus hard partying pals, the new information about the relationship between the boston bombing suspect and dzhokhar tsarnaev and his friends trying to cover his tracks. and a fiery 747 crash. deep concerns about the cargo. and whether a disaster like this could happen again. i'm wolf blitzer. we want to welcome our viewers in the united states and around the world. you're in the"the situation room"." -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com rocket fire in syria intensifying and government troops on the offensive right now. activists said the regime gains in the city of holmes and describe what they call as a massacre in a village. u.s. policy may be turning as well. there could be a turning point for the obama administration.
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the defense secretary, chuck hagel, saying the obama administration is now reconsidering whether to arm syrian rebels. cnn's fred is standing by in damascus the syrian capital. let's go to barbara starr. she pressed secretary hagel on this issue today. barbara, what happened? >> wolf we had a press conference here in the pentagon. everybody knew behind the scenes at the white house -- that the white house was rethinking this. but the white house had not come out and said it. you just saw in mexico the president would not be specific. today, chuck hagel decided it was time. we pressed him, is the administration rethinking its opposition to arming the rebels. listen to what he had to say. so you are rethinking the -- the administration is rethinking to arming the rests? >> yes. >> may i ask why? what has changed in your mind, and does this put you at odds
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with the u.s. military who said it's not a good idea? why are you rethinking arming the rebels? >> you look at rethink all options. it doesn't mean you do or you will. these are options that must be considered with partners. with the international community. >> now, wolf no decision has been made. this is very clear, this is very precise, they are rethinking whether they want to lift their opposition to arming the rebels. no decision has been made. but look the white house is under considerable pressure from some in congress to do something, as the carnage goes on in syria. they're going to look at it as the president indicated, they have to decide could it really help. there's a lot of concern if they provide these weapons, whose hands they really will fall into. wolf? >> i know the israelis are pretty concerned as well that
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some of these high-tech weapons, if you will these sophisticated weapons could wind up in the wrong hands. what are you hearing about that? >> absolutely wolf. just yesterday, the ambassador to the united states from israel michael orren, someone you frequently have on "the situation room," told me that israel has now asked the white house to vet, to make sure if and when they decide to supply these weapons to the syrian rebels that they don't fall into the hands of terrorists al qaeda, iranian militia members operating inside syria. that will be very tough to do. all of those elements across syria, israel one of the u.s.'s closest allies very concerned because al qaeda elements in syria are already on its northern border. >> barbara at the pentagon good q&a with the secretary of defense today. one syrian official is talking exclusively to cnn about chemical weapons, the use in the civil war in syria.
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fred is joining us now from we have a western reporter in damascus. you're there for us fred. tell our viewers what the reaction is first of all, to what secretary of defense hagel said today about the u.s. rethinking arming the rebels? >> reporter: well wolf certainly it's something that causes a lot of concern, especially among the syrian government. i spoke to the information minister today and he said his military had not used chemical weapons in the ongoing conflict. infact he blamed islamist rebels for using these weapons. he said that those weapons had come through turkey. he even blamed the u.s. for allegedly facilitating that. let's listen to what he had to say. >> the united states says that it has evidence that chemical weapons were used in the conflict here. did your armed forces use them?
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>> translator: the government would never use chemical weapons if we had them. we have proof that the islams have used them. the u.s. is not serious about discussing the type of weapons used. they want to accuse syria and not search for the truth. it is shameful. >> do you fear that this could draw the united states into increased action? >> translator: the most important question is why western countries are given such weapons to al qaeda. do they want to increase terrorism, or do they want to find a pretext to invade syria? they're trying to make them stronger. the westerns country are on the same side as the terrorists. >> i'll give you president obama's position. president obama is taking a lot of heat in the united states for not taking more action on syria. how do you view his approach?
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>> translator: president obama line then he is in direct accordance with president assad. he also thinks chemical weapons are a red line. >> so wolf i'm not sure if the administration would agree that president assad and president obama see eye to eye on any of these issues. however, the information minister also telling us the minister government will not allow a u.n. team to enter the country and have blanket access to check out any of these -- >> fred we got technical issues there. but he's in damascus. thanks very much for that. we just heard moments ago the president once again saying bashar al assad, the syrian president, he must go. the nato secretary-general is here in washington. secretary-general, thanks very much for coming in. >> you're welcome. >> do you think nato, the nato allies should arm the rebels in
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syria? >> first of all, let me stress that nato as an alliance doesn't impose arms embargoes nor do we deliver weapons. that's for nations to decide. but i agree with mr. hagel that the international community must consider all options to bring an end immediately to the bloodshed in syria. >> including providing lethal weapons to the rebels to fight the bashar al assad regime? >> i think that there are a lot of dilemmas that have to be considered closely. the goal must be to bring an end to this bloodshed immediately. and of course there are two sides of delivering weapons. one side of course is you can strengthen the hand of the opposition and that way force the regime to negotiate. is
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the risk of proliferation of weapons, and that they fall into the wrong hands. >> how worried are you that some of those weapons would fall into the hands of al nasr or al qaeda fighters in syria? >> obviously it is a risk. of course the international community must do what it takes to bring an end to this bloodshed. but my bottom line is that the best way forward is to find a political solution. to that end, we need a strong and unified message from the u.n. security council. >> would a political solution allow bashar al assad to remain in power? >> realistically speaking i don't think so. i think the best framework for a political solution would be the declaration that the action group on syria published on the 13th of june, 2012 the strength
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of that declaration that all five members of the -- the permanent members of the security council signed including russia and china, and i think building on that it should be possible to find a political solution. >> do you believe bashar al assad's forces have used chemical weapons against their own people? >> as a matter of principle, i never comment on these reports. but obviously there are indications that chemical weapons have been used. however, we don't know the details, the circumstances, and we don't know by whom they have been used. >> is it possible as the syrian regime claims that the opposition the rebels were using chemical weapons? >> i think you can't exclude anything at this stage. i also think recent history demonstrates how important it is that we are very careful in the handing of ints of the
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weapons. >> you're speaking about the bad intelligence leading up to the war in iraq where it was claimed there were weapons of mass destruction stockpiles that were never found? >> i think that should be taken into account. and that also explains why political leaders are so careful when it comes to the handling of such intelligence. >> explain why nato got involved in getting rid of gadhafi in libya, but is not getting involved in getting rid of bashar al assad in syria? >> there's a very clear difference between libya and syria. >> what is it? >> in libya, we operated on the basis of a clear united nations mandate to protect the civilian population against attack, and we had active support from countries in the region. none of these conditions are fulfilled in syria. >> so the security council has not passed the resolution authorizing the use of force to deal with the crisis in syria? >> that's of course one very important aspect.
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any action requires a sound legal basis. on top of that syria is a very complex society, and this conflict has a lot of regional consequences. and any external military intervention might have unpredictable regional consequences. >> still ahead, would the nato secretary-general actually meet with north korea's kim jong-un? the nato secretary-general was just in the korean peninsula. stand by and hear his surprising answer to my question. that's coming up later this hour. also, the party life of the boston bombing suspect. an inside look at dzhokhar tsarnaev and the friends accused of covering up for him. oh, boy. [ groans ] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [ engine revs ]
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two weeks after tamerlan tsarnaev died his body has now been claimed. the medical examiner said somebody will pick up the body
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at the funeral home this evening. we're told the cause of death won't be released until his death certificate is filed. that could happen tomorrow morning. brian todd is joining us now from the boston area. me's got more on what happened today. brian? >> yes, wolf we're told that the body of tamerlan tsarnaev has been claimed. the medical examiner's office not saying who claimed the body and not releasing the cause of death, as you mentioned. that does not come until the death certificate has been issued. a lot of speblgculation who would claim the body an uncle or one of the sisters. new information on how close the four young men were the other young men involved in this investigation, the three suspects arrested yesterday. it was a bomb that brought them all together at this college and ended up with all four of them jailed. they could relate to one another from the start. russian speakers immigrants trying to assimilate into
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american life. but one of them had been at it longer, and the other two gravitated toward him. dzhokhar tsarnaev's friends and acquaintances said he was americanized. but tazhayakov struggled with english and school here. he said tsarnaev had been in the u.s. for a long time spoke english well and knew the ropes. but he said despite their dependence on dzhokhar they could still create a stir on their own. they liked to get noticed? >> yes. they had a black car. and i saw their car multiple times last semester. it was very noticeable. they played loud music in their cars. i felt that they wanted to be noticed. >> he didn't know suspect robel
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phillipos. but he knew kadyrbayev and tazhayakov and tsarnaev from the parties they went to. what were they like socially? >> they were social animals. they used to dance. they used to drink. they also liked to play games together with other people. >> what kind of games? >> like video games. >> the criminal complaint says dias kadyrbayev was close enough to dzhokhar tsarnaev that he met his family members. court members say he once set off firesworks on the banks of the river with tsarnaev. and he said he knew how to make a bomb. but there's no indication that the three arrested students knew about the marathon plot. before he was accused of obstruction, azamat tazhayakov's father said he couldn't be involved. >> we were shocked. everyone knows my son. he's never fought anyone. he's never been in touch with any radicals. >> phillipos and tsarnaev were in a class in high school.
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all four young men enrolled at umass dartmouth later that year. phillipos describes his background in cambridge. >> i grew up in a mild-mannered day of living. never too poor never rich. >> friends are trying to piece together how three average guys got caught up in the marathon bombing investigation, and may wind up in prison. was it a calculated attempt to deceive investigators? warren thinks it may have been a clumsy effort to help a friend. >> they might have been scared initially, because they're international students. they may have panicked. >> and their arrest has unsettled this college campus once again, less than two weeks after law enforcement agencies swarmed this campus and evacuated it right around the time of dzhokhar tsarnaev's capture. >> you're getting more information on the third person who was arrested yesterday, the american phillipos.
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what are you learning? >> well wolf it's interesting, he gave up serious responsibility when he came here to the college. and of course with his arrest that responsibility is left in question. a friend told the "boston globe" in recent years, robel phillipos was helping his single mother care for younger family members and because of that he would not go to parties when dzhokhar tsarnaev would go to parties. he really took some responsibility. not clear what happens to his family now that he's in jail. >> you know we're also just learning brian, that the laptop that had been missing, that we now know the fbi had, the laptop belonging to dzhokhar tsarnaev the younger brother, it was actually turned over to federal authorities by dias kadyrbayev, one of the kazakh students. that's what we're just learning. this laptop brian, and you've been looking into it it potentially has a treasure trove of evidence inside. >> there's no telling what could
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be on that laptop wolf. it can be anything from items about bomb else. you know maybe some logistics involving the alleged plot things like that. that's clearly what law enforcement is going to be combing over is combing over right now. and it also may establish further links between these suspects and dzhokhar tsarnaev. there may not be further links, but if there are, you might be able to find them on that computer. >> they're hoping to get more cooperation from the widow of the elder tsarnaev brother, katherine russell. they're hoping to get more information from her as well. >> right. >> brian's on the scene reporting for us. thank you. up next residents flee an out-of-control wildfire in southern california. that's closed part pacific coast highway. look at these pictures coming in from our affiliates out there. we're going there live. plus chilling images of the final seconds of a doomed flight. do they contain clues about what caused the fiery and the deadly crash. tdd: 1-800-345-2550 but there is one source with a wealth of etf knowledge
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happening now, a wildfire burning out of control in southern california. it exploded from ten acres to more than 6,000 acres in just five hours today, forcing evacuations, closing part of the pacific coast highway. paul is northwest of l.a. what's the latest there, paul? >> reporter: well right now in this neighborhood the upscale neighborhood right over here flames once again starting up. they have encircled this neighborhood entirely. some of this by the, an intentional
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burn by firefighters. they are using fire to fight fire. and they're going to burn again in this neighborhood soon. look over this hill, another plume of smoke. as we take you wide over here, i'm going to go ahead and pivot, you can tell this brush fire is nowhere near being contained. in fact it h zero percent containment. the smoke over here is also dark indicating that brush fuel is burning. they've got a lot of work to do. but the silver lining in all of these clouds is so far, so far, from what we understand none of these houses has burned. yes, there have been some rvs that burned and charred buildings, but they haven't lost any of the homes. it's been an absolutely valiant effort by something like 600 firefighters to get in here. you can see the trucks down the street literally in the back yards making sure these houses don't burn down. the homeowners deserve a lot of credit. most of them put in what they call defensible space, so the fire wouldn't burn up their houses. it was a very tense moment earlier today, right now, a
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little calmer here in newbury park. >> good to hear that paul. we'll stay in touch with you. coming up here in "the situation room," north korea sentencing an american to 15 years of hard labor. as kim jong-un is trying to use him as a pawn. a stunning discovery that appears to solve a 400-year-old mystery tha goes back to america's beginnings. hey everybody, hi mom... streaming live with a tour of my new place... knowing you can still reach out. ... and now you've seen it. that's powerful. verizon. get mom a lucid 2 by lg for free.
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an american citizen sentenced to 15 years hard labor in north korea. a senior u.s. official tells cnn the man is a tour operator who had a visa to be in north korea. but officials there accuse him of quote, hostile acts. cnn's senior international correspondent dan rivers is working the story for us. he's in seoul, south korea, right now. what are you finding out, dan? >> it's an amazing case amazing how little we know about what kenneth bay is alleged to have actually done. all we know is he's done something, that they say committed hostile acts toward the regime. it took the regime more than six months to put this case on trial. but the actual hearing, only lasted two days. he was sentenced on the same day without any right to appeal to 15 years hard labor inside north korea. many people now worried that kenneth bay is the latest bargaining chip in north korea, in the high stakes game of
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brinksmanship. there is curiously little information about kenneth bay online. just this facebook page started by his friends campaigning for his release from the secretive regime. he's been jailed for 15 years hard labor for, quote, his crimes aimed to topple north korea. the news agency claiming his crimes were proved by evidence a possible reference to material reportedly found on a hard drive. one of bay's friends suggesting it may have been as innocuous of photos of orphans begging. whatever he's done or hasn't done experts say he's now a bargaining chip for new leader kim jong-un. >> i think north korea kind of looks at any u.s. citizen in and around north korea as a mere asset, a commodity that can be traded in the open market. and so ken was just at the wrong place at the wrong time. >> reporter: bay's not the first. scenes like this are becoming all too familiar.
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emotional captives reunited with their families accompanied by a high-profile politician. this was 2009 journalist laura ling and euna lee, and former president bill clinton takes the credit. a year later it's a different form of president jimmy carter with another relieved american gomez. kenneth bay is the sixth american in the wrong place at the wrong time. and the north koreans may once again be holding out for a high-profile visitor before they give him up. what north korea wants above all else is to enter talks with the united states. to gain concessions and get an end to punitive actions. they may see kenneth bay as the perfect way to achieve that gain. with the announcement of their third successful nuclear test in february the stakes couldn't be higher. north korea even threate preemptive nuclear strike during south korean/u.s. war games last month.
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those maneuvers are over but it seems the brinkmanship is not. well there's been a lot of speculation here, wolf that former president jimmy carter will be the one to get the call up to sort this situation out. i've heard back from his spokeswoman. she says that he has not had an invitation to visit north korea, and has no plans to visit. so they're going to have to look elsewhere if they want to get kenneth bay released. >> sure a lot of people want to do that. dan rivers in seoul thanks very much. coming up at the top of the hour for our viewers in north america, erin burnett is talking with euna lee who was held captive in north korea before former president bill clinton was able to negotiate her release. that's 7:00 p.m. eastern, erin burnett "outfront." earli speak about the standoff with north korea with the nato secretary-general rasmussen. you were recently on the korean
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peninsula. why do you believe kim jong-un, the north korean leader and his forces have not gone ahead with this missile launch this missile test that they boasted about so publicly in recent weeks? >> well i will refrain from guessing about motives and intentions in pyongyang. i, as you said, visited korea recently. and nato has a very key position. we have strongly condemned the provocative actions, and the provocative rhetoric of the north korean regime. we consider that provocative behavior a threat to the region and international security and stability. and we urge the leadership in north korea to comply with the relevant u.n. resolutions. >> would you meet with kim jong-un? >> no, that's not in the cards.
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>> secretary-general, thanks very much for coming in. >> you're welcome. thank you. my pleasure. >> we're following also other news including the investigation into the fiery a 747 cargo plane in afghanistan that killed seven americans. the stunning video of the plane falling from the sky has gone viral. it may provide some important clues. cnn's pentagon correspondent chris lawrence has the latest. chris? >> well wolf we may be getting closer to hearing why crashed. the ntsb team arrived in afghanistan today, along with representatives from thefaa and boeing, the company that built the plane. there were thunderstorms in the area when the boeing 747 purportedly shown here stalled and crashed in afghan so weather is one potential cause. weight is another. >> the overall weight has to be within the center of gravity limits. the cargo ships in either direction, it's possible it could go out of the limits. >> reporter: so it's not just
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the total, but where that weight is positioned on the plane. as part of the drawdown in afghanistan, the u.s. has been removing a massive amount of heavy equipment. so this 747 takes off for dubai, with five armored vehicles onboard. each weighs 13 tons, and has to be locked in a certain spot. but if one of the chain attachments were to fail one loose vehicle could suddenly push 20 30 tons to the rear of the plane. >> a lot of people sitting at home are wondering what's the difference between this flight in a 747 that they might get on? >> this is 400. it is a widely used commercial passenger plane with an excellent safety record. >> reporter: whether you're flying tourist to australia or hauling gear from afghanistan, balance is essential. even carrying the space shuttle "discovery" on its back this 747 weighs less than 500,000
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pounds. compare that to the same plane with hundreds of seats, passengers luggage and food. it can weigh more than 800,000 pounds. the airlines are so precise, they add five pounds to the average passenger's weight in winter to account for heavier coats and boots. the differences are the steep takeoff, and more importantly, that it would be much more difficult for massive amounts of weight to shift so quickly on a passenger plane. wolf? >> reporting for us pretty scary stuff. thank you. coming up inside the mind of a killer. could biology explain the motives for the boston marathon bombings. our dr. sanjay gupta is investigating. plus a crowning achievement at the new world trade center. advisor made a retirement plan they considered all her assets, even those held elsewhere giving her the confidence to pursue all her goals. when you want a financial advisor who sees the whole picture, turn to us. wells
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we've just confirmed that the body of the suspected killer in the boston terror attacks, tamerlan tsarnaev the body has now arrived at a funeral home in boston. there you see video that we got
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from our affiliate wcvb. earlier a spokesman for the massachusetts office from the medical examiner did not say who claimed the body only that it a funeral home. he would not release any additional details. now we know the body is at the funeral home. we anticipate the cause of death, the certificate to be released sometime tomorrow morning. we'll have coverage of that here on cnn tomorrow. some important clues potentially in the boston bombing investigation may actually lie inside the brains of the suspect's possible abnormalities that experts say could have predisposed them to this kind of horrific attack. here's our chief medical xoernt correspondent, dr. sanjay gupta. >> what makes a killer. is there a switch that turns on a rampage? and why would someone do this?
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>> you can just say the person's evil. i think that's 13th century thinking. i think we've moved beyond that. >> he's the criminologist, and author of a new book anatomy of violence. he said there are biological explanations for violence. he is convinced that brain dysfunction may in part explain the terror unleashed in boston. >> were they just completely normal people who decided one day, you know what, we want to create mayhem. i don't think so. i think it's more complicated than that. >> reporter: raine said he first saw echoes of his own work when this image of 19-year-old suspect dzhokhar tsarnaev was released. >> while others were running away he was just walking away as cool as a cucumber. that really struck me. because i've seen this before in psychopaths, murderers in prison. >> then there were these photos of the brother who was killed.
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tamerlan tsarnaev. boxing. >> we've found a neurological abnormality in the brain that predisposes to violence and psychopathy. and it's also been found in boxes. during development, as the limb pick regions develop, they compress or fuse the two leaflets together. for some people because of maldevelopment of the limbbik system the gap never closes. it gives rise to a lack of fear. a psychopathic-like personality who could go and kill you know a number of people and maybe not have any sense of shame or remorse or guilt about doing that. >> this is the almond shaped structure called the amigdala.
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this area shrinks in psychopaths and makes this area dramatically smaller. >> this is very much involved in fear conditioning. you experience when you're thinking of doing something, that's not right. and then you get that awful feeling, no i shouldn't do that. if that's broken then perhaps an individual is more likely to perpetrate a horrific act like the boston bombings. >> sanjay's joining us right now. how difficult was it sanjay for the expert to discuss these alleged bombers without actually examining their brains? >> yeah it's -- i mean there is sort of an emerging science quality to this wolf. one thing that raine has looked at a fair amount is serial killers. evidence on terrorists being able to look into the brains of people who commit mass rampage like this, that's harder data to come by. so he's looking for
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similarities for example, between these serial killers and people who commit terrorism, and seeing if there are some commonalities there. it's not ironclad by any means, it's an emerging science, but he's the guy sort of trying to investigate this. >> what about the role of genetics? the two tsarnaev brothers obviously related. is there a connection in violence and genetics? >> when you look at researchers how much is biology and how much is environmental, you get back the answer often, it's about 50/50. you know there's 50% maybe related to genetics. and when you talk about brothers like this obviously this becomes a very germane question. one is to look at identical twins and figure out identical twins who may have been raised in different circumstances, what are the commonalities in terms of personality type aggression obviously if there's a criminal record. obviously people who have been adopted. here the question becomes, if
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they were raised in a good home they had an upbringing that did not raise any red flags yet they still developed some sort of criminal behavior going back and looking at the birth parents and trying to figure out just how much of a role each played. but i think right now, it's safe to say genetics plays a pretty significant role half and half wolf. >> thanks very much sanjay. >> you got it. thank you. you can learn a lot more from sanjay and his expert adrian raine, this weekend on "sanjay gupta m.d." only here on cnn. up next a new discovery in a 400-year-old mystery that goes back to america's earliest settlers. a shocking secret revealed. were a vampire. but he's not. ♪ ♪
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archaeologists appear to have solved a 400-year-old mystery that goes back to america's roots. it's a startling discovery about the way some early settlers apparently survived a very brutal winter while others starved. cnn's lisa sylvester has the story. >> reporter: they came by ship with their hopes. jamestown, the first permanent english settlement in north america in 1607. it was long believed that james fort on the island had over time washed away. but in 1994 archaeologists working in the area started finding the remains of the original fort. and then something even more astounding was discovered last year. archaeologists say this skull belonged to a 14-year-old girl of european descent.
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this is what they believe she looked like. they are calling her jane. she was on board a ship that arrived in 1609. it couldn't have been at a worse time. the food supplies they were bringing from england were lost or spoiled in a severe storm, and tensions were high between the indians and the settlers. >> the fort is cut off. it's besieged by the powatans and these 300 men, women and children are trapped within the confines of the fort itself. >> reporter: for hundreds of years, it's been a mystery, how did the settlers survive? they had only enough food to last two months just as winter was setting in. a winter known as the starving time of jamestown. no food disease, and war. >> in the records, there were accounts of the fact that when things were so desperate and it was very hopeless for the colonists that they resorted -- some resorted to cannibalism. but they were kind of enigmatic
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references. some believed it some didn't. >> reporter: but now they say they have evidence. the skull, it was found in an abandon the cellar of the fort. douglas o schl ley is a forensic anthropologist. he says the cuts on jane's jaw were from a very sharp knife consistent with efforts to remove flesh, consistent with cannibalism. >> i can tell you the violence in terms of the mutilation of the bones, the fracturing there's no way that this is just trauma. they have a very clear intent and the clear intent in this instance is the need to remove tissues for consumption. >> this discovery really to me has made such an impact on my empathy with the hardships that the settlers went through for that time period and how close jamestown came to failing. if it failed the course of american history would be very different. >> reporter: november of 1609
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there were 300 settlers. by the time more provisions arrived the following spring there were only 60 settlers left. >> the new exhibition telling jane's story and the fate of the settlers opens tomorrow in jamestown, virginia. historians and anthropologists, they are now trying to find out jane's true identity by poring through historical documents and archives. but at this point it's not known if she was the daughter of a gentryman or if she was a servant. and wolf, they don't know at this point even how she died. >> looks like a 400-year-old mystery has been solved. >> yeah. if you think about everything that they had to go through, they were cut off by the indians. they couldn't leave the fort and they somehow had to survive, and some of them did, wolf. >> good report. thanks very much for the historical analysis. up next the crowning achievement in the rebuilding of ground zero more than a decade after 9/11. dry cleaning done. gift for your aunt... done. today, we're gonna be talking about your body after baby. yep. we're done. okay. let's get some lunch.
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here's cnn's jeanne moos. >> reporter: it's what people of the tree. the ball above times square. and now new york's newest ornament has been lifted the spire that will top off one world trade center. the antenna on the old world trade center was the last thing to come crashing down. and now we've come full circle with a new spire going up an american flag attached. for the construction workers -- >> to see this go up and cap it off, it's a beautiful moment for everybody. you know not just for new yorkers, for america. >> reporter: workers applauded as the spire was lifted. it will serve as a broadcast transmission center. there will be a beacon on top. >> the beacon that will be seen for miles around and give a tremendous indication that we're back and we're better than ever. >> reporter: workers on lower floors took pictures as the spire was hoisted past them atop the 104-floor building
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workers savored the moment with upraised arms and dangling feet. >> you can't knock us down. we just keep on getting up and doing what we have to do. >> reporter: a giant crane lifted the 22-ton section. the spire, when fully installed, will bring the building to a height of 1,776 feet the date america declared its independence. this was the view from up there with the spire looking like a rocket suspended over manhattan. liftoff. jeanne moos, cnn, new york. >> it's a beautiful sight indeed. congratulations to everyone involved. that's it for me. thanks very much for watching. i'm wolf blitzer in "the situation room." erin burnett "outfront" starts right now. "outfront," next after eight months u.s. officials say they know who attacked the american consulate in libya. plus who is the american sentenced to 15 years of hard labor in north korea?
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and how did he end up there? and a woman declared dead for a decade and then out of the blue appears. let's go "outfront." good evening, everyone, i'm erin burnett. we begin with breaking news. we have new details about al qaeda's role in the deadly benghazi attacks that killed
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